Case study

Building a new city from scratch, and finding the person to lead it

Client
Discovered People
Industry
Recruitment
Country
Australia

Expanding into a new city is one of the most exciting and high-stakes moves a recruitment business can make. For Discovered People, Melbourne represented a genuine growth opportunity, but only if they could find the right person to lead it.

This wasn't a role for someone who needed structure handed to them. It required a principal-level consultant with the billing credibility, market knowledge, and entrepreneurial drive to walk into a new city and build something from nothing.

Discovery

We worked closely with the Discovered People leadership team to build a precise picture of what this hire really needed to look like, not just on paper but in practice. What billing background would give them the authority to open doors in Melbourne? What personality traits would make them thrive in an autonomous environment? And crucially, what would make a strong consultant leave a comfortable role for a brand-new market?

Intervention

We approached the market with a targeted, headhunted strategy, identifying candidates specifically for this opportunity and positioning the Melbourne expansion as the compelling career move it genuinely was. As the brief evolved, we remained flexible and kept communication tight.

  • Headhunted approach targeting off-market principal-level consultants
  • Deep discovery to build a precise candidate profile beyond the job spec
  • Regular updates and honest conversations about hiring risks throughout
  • Flexible as the brief evolved, without losing momentum
  • Full candidate management from first approach to placement
"Managed understood our brief completely. They didn't just send us CVs, they had proper, in-depth conversations with us about what the role really required, kept us updated consistently, and weren't afraid to have honest conversations about what could go wrong. The person they found for us has given our Melbourne launch the foundation it needed."
Discovered People
Leadership Team

Impact

Discovered People now have a credible, experienced principal on the ground in Melbourne. Someone who was headhunted specifically for this opportunity and who is building their new location with the kind of confidence and ownership that only comes from genuine fit.

The Melbourne launch is underway. The foundation is solid. And it started with the right hire.

1
New city launched
AD
Associate Director level hire secured

Tell us what you're trying to grow

A straight conversation about where the agency is now and what's actually in the way. No pitch deck, no pressure.